The King, who partly saw this intrigue, soon made himself entirely master of it, by intercepting the letters which passed between the various parties.  He read there the project of Clermont and La Choin to marry, and thus govern Monseigneur; he saw how M. de Luxembourg was the soul of this scheme, and the marvels to himself he expected from it.  The letters Clermont had received from the Princesse de Conti he now sent to Mademoiselle la Choin, and always spoke to her of Monseigneur as their “fat friend.”  With this correspondence in his hands, the King one day sent for the Princesse de Conti, said in a severe tone that he knew of her weakness for Clermont; and, to prove to her how badly she had placed her affection, showed her her own letters to Clermont, and letters in which he had spoken most contemptuously of her to La Choin.  Then, as a cruel punishment, he made her read aloud to him the whole of those letters.  At this she almost died, and threw herself, bathed in tears, at the feet of the King, scarcely able to articulate.  Then came sobs, entreaty, despair, and rage, and cries for justice and revenge.  This was soon obtained.  Mademoiselle la Choin was driven away the next day; and M. de Luxembourg had orders to strip Clermont of his office, and send him to the most distant part of the kingdom.  The terror of M. de Luxembourg and the Prince de Conti at this discovery may be imagined.  Songs increased the notoriety of this strange adventure between the Princess and her confidant.

M. de Noyon had furnished on my return another subject for the song-writers, and felt it the more sensibly because everybody was diverted at his expense, M. de Noyon was extremely vain, and afforded thereby much amusement to the King.  A Chair was vacant at the Academic Francaise.  The King wished it to be given to M. de Noyon, and expressed himself to that effect to Dangeau, who was a member.  As may be believed, the prelate was elected without difficulty.  His Majesty testified to the Prince de Conde, and to the most distinguished persons of the Court, that he should be glad to see them at the reception.  Thus M. de Noyon was the first member of the Academia chosen by the King, and the first at whose reception he had taken the trouble to invite his courtiers to attend.

The Abbe de Caumartin was at that time Director of the Academie.  He knew the vanity of M. de Noyon, and determined to divert the public at his expense.  He had many friends in power, and judged that his pleasantry would be overlooked, and even approved.  He composed, therefore, a confused and bombastic discourse in the style of M. de Noyon, full of pompous phrases, turning the prelate into ridicule, while they seemed to praise him.  After finishing this work, he was afraid lest it should be thought out of all measure, and, to reassure himself, carried it to M. de Noyon himself, as a scholar might to his master, in order to see whether it fully met with his approval.  M. de Noyon, so far from suspecting anything, was charmed by the discourse, and simply made a few corrections in the style.  The Abbe de Caumartin rejoiced at the success of the snare he had laid, and felt quite bold enough to deliver his harangue.